Slow Food San Diego is part of Slow Food USA and Slow Food International, a non-profit

organization which was founded by Carlo Petrini in response to the 1986 opening of

a McDonalds in Rome's Piazza Spagna. The mission of Slow Food is to counteract fast

food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling

interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices

affect the rest of the world. Today, there are 80,000 members world-wide.



Slow Food is dedicated to bio-diversity and sustainability. Slow Food works to support the

small farmer, local artisans and preserves cultural food traditions. San Diego is a

bountiful, richly diverse locale for a Slow Food convivium. Our members share a passion

for food. Our monthly events reflect our work to support local producers, restaurants and

suppliers. We are dedicated to ecologically sound food production. We are committed to

awakening our children to the enjoyment and health benefits of quality foods. We celebrate

the return of the table as a center of pleasure and the idea of living a slower, more

harmonious life



Slow Food Mission


Through its understanding of gastronomy with relation to politics, agriculture and the

environment, Slow Food has become an active player in agriculture and

ecology. Slow Food links pleasure and food with awareness and responsibility.



Defense of Biodiversity


Slow Food believes the enjoyment of excellent foods and wines should be

combined with efforts to save the countless traditional cheeses, grains,

vegetables, fruits, and animal breeds that are disappearing due to the prevalence of

convenience food and agribusiness.



Taste Education


In a world where the pleasures of taste are not always learned through

leisurely meals around a lively table, we must make a conscious effort to

explore, question and experiment. This is the aim of Slow Food's taste

education initiatives. Convivia activities introduce new foods to members

while Taste Workshops offer guided tastings with food experts.



Linking Producers and Consumers


Slow Food organizes fairs, events and farmers' markets to showcase products

of excellent gastronomic quality. The huge success of the international food

festival Salone del Gusto, with its cornucopia of foods to be tasted and bought,supports

producers while offering up a world of delights to the public.

As each of us changes our pace in life, slowing down, we will have an effect on the whole.


You can partake, every time you enjoy these pleasures:

Join a local convivium

Trace your food sources

Visit a local farmers' market

Join a CSA

Invite a friend over to share a meal

Visit a farm in your area

Create a new food memory for a child!

Plant seeds or harvest greens for a meal.

Cook a meal with friends

Start a kitchen garden

Learn your local food history!